Intermittent grip device



July 17, 1934." B. CUTLER INTERMITTENT GRIP DEVICE Filed July 7, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor file/mum? CQ/f/er July 17, 1934.

B. CUTLER INTERMITTENT GRIP DEVICE Filed July' 7. 1933 s sheets-sheet 2 Inventor fiarna MZ Caf/er July 17, 1934. CUTLER 1,967,114

INTERMITTENT GRIP DEVICE Filed July 7. 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lnvenior fer/Va r 65 6 217 /er l atented July 17, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a coin-controlled cigarette vending machine of the type constructed to dispense a single cigarette at a time.

Briefly stated, in carrying the principles of the inventive conception into actual practice, I have evolved and produced a novel, economical and simplified cabinet arrangement to hold two or more individual brands of cigarettes wherein internal means is provided for successively feeding the cigarettes one-by-one into an especially designed trapping and releasing device.

One feature of the invention is predicated upon a sturdy and dependable endless belt unit provided with pocket-forming ribs or lugs especially fashioned to permit the individual cigarette chutes to be progressively emptied.

Another feature of the construction is predicated upon a -manually actuated mechanical thrust device cooperable with the conveyor and associated with a special. trip device whereby the thrust device is momentarily disengaged from the conveyor to prevent unauthorized and fraudulent operation of the machine until a legitimate coin is inserted in the coin-controlled mechanism.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and drawings. In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a complete cabinet as constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side view thereof with one of the sides removed to expose the internal construction and arrangement.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the plane of the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings by distinguishing reference characters, it will be observed that the casing, which is of appropriate material, proportions and configuration is generally represented by the numeral 4. It is here shown as of general rectangular form and comprises a base or bottom 5, a suitable top 6, a rear wall '7, a front wall 8, and a pair of side walls 9 of duplicate construction. The side walls are provided with windows or the like 10 to permit inspection of the interior of the cabinet at all times.

The numeral 11 designates a vertically disposed longitudinally extending partition which divides the interior of the cabinet into two compartments to contain different brands of cigarettes. These compartments, and the features that go therewith may be described as a single unit. Each unit is the same in construction, and a description of one will sufiice for both.

Proceeding with this thought in mind, it will be observed from Figure 2 that in the compartments I provide a plurality of vertically disposed equi-distant dividers 12 which define a series of duplicate chutes 13 to contain and discharge the individual cigarettes 14. The upper part of the structure may be constructed to provide a storage space for surplus packages of cigarettes or the like 15.

Referring to Figure 2, it will be observed'that the numeral 16 designates a horizontal solid guide block having rounded ends to accommodate an endless conveying belt 17. The belt operates around the guide block in the manner shown and is provided with a plurality of equi-distant transverse longitudinally spaced ribs or lugs 18 which define pockets to register with the cigarette chutes l3.

I call attention to the discharge means for the cigarette which comprises a discharge opening or slot 19 and a special trapping and releasing device 20. This device 20 comprises an externally located fixedly mounted hood or trapping casing 21 and a complemental plate 22 hingedly mounted as at 23 and serving as a bottom for said casing.

The outer edge portion of the plate is provided with a hand releasing tab or fingergrip 24. The inner edge portion extends inwardly through and beyond the slot 19 and terminates in an upturned guard lip 25. The numeral 26 designates a return spring which is anchored in the cabinet and attached to the plate adjacent said lip. The cigarettes are dropped one-by-one onto this plate 22 and are rolled or shunted out into the hand of the purchaser when the finger grip 24 is grasped and placed tilted downwardly against the action of the return spring 26.

The coin-controlled manually manipulated mechanical means for operating the conveyor comprises an individual assembly which in its preferred embodiment is clearly illustrated in Figure 2. To begin with, the numerals 27 and 28 designate internal and external guides for a horizontally disposed bar-like plunger 29 which is slidable therein. The plunger is formed at its outer end into an appropriate handgrip 30.

On its inner end is a special pusher foot which is in the nature of a spring-metal triangular frame 31. The converging end portions of the arms of the frame straddle the free end portion of the plunger strip 29 and are secured thereto as indicated at 32. The upper inclined arm 33 functions as a cam and the adjacent corner 34 functions as a thrust shoulder to engage the cleats or ribs 18 shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. When the plunger is in retracted position, as shown in full lines in Figure 2, the cam surface 31 rides against a fixedly mounted trip finger 35 appropriatelyanchored in place as indicated at 36. The finger is quite rigid and as the plunger is withdrawn to extended operating position for insertion of the coin, the cam surface 33 rides against the finger and beneath the finger whereby to disengage the thrust corner 34 from the conveyor.

After the coin is inserted, and the plunger is shoved inwardly in the customary manner, and at a predetermined time, the resilient pusher foot 31 passes inwardly beyond the extremity of the finger 35 and automatically snaps into the position shown in dotted lines, in which position sufficient movement is permitted to rotate the conveyor belt to a point to discharge one of the cigarettes into the trapping device 20. 17 should fit the block 16 to produce suificient friction to prevent retrograde movement of the belt when the plunger 29 is being retracted. This friction need not be great as the resiliency of the member 31 and the inclined part 33 thereof will cause said member to move downwardly as the part 33 engages a forward corner of a strip 18 so that the member 31 will simply ride over the blocks 18 on the retraction of the plunger until it rides on the finger 35. This finger 35 should be long enough to prevent the shoulder 34 from engaging any one of the blocks or strips 18 until it has been moved a certain distance where the finishing movement will cause the shoulder 34 to engage a strip or block and move the belt a suflicient distance to discharge one cigarette onto the plate 22. This arrangement eliminates necessity of providing a holding dog for preventing retrograde movement of the belt.

As shown in Figure 2, the numeral 37 merely designates a moistener which is in the form of a The belt' box or container with a sponge located in it, while the numeral 38 designates a coin catching box or receptacle. Although it is of no particular consequence, I call attention to the numeral 39 in Figure 1 which designates a front Wall window or panel held in place by a suitable facing retaining frame 40 of appropriate decorated type.

A careful consideration of the foregoing description in conjunction with the illustrative drawings will enable the reader to obtain a clear understanding of the purpose, features and advantages, the explicit construction, and the invention as hereinafter claimed.

It is to be understood that minor changes in shape,size,relative proportions and materials may be resorted to in practice without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the invention as now claimed.

I claim:

In a device of the class described, a ratchet member having substantially rectangular-shaped teeth thereon, a reciprocating plunger, a pawl attached to the plunger and consisting of a substantially triangular-shaped member formed of spring material and including a vertical part and a part sloping from the upper end of the vertical part downwardly to the plunger, the upper end of the vertical part forming a shoulder for engaging a tooth of the ratchet member for imparting movement to the ratchet member when the plunger is moved in one direction, the sloping part riding over a corner of another tooth and depressing the pawl when the plunger is moved in an opposite direction, an elongated shield forming member located between a part of the ratchet member and the plunger and on which the resilient pawl rests when the plunger is retracted, the sloping part of the pawl riding over the end of said shield member when the plunger is projected and retracted.

- BERNARD CUTLER. 

